The OCNE curriculum prepares nurses to care for Oregon's aging and increasingly diverse population. It was built on a foundation of evidence-based learning science and nursing education research.

In the OCNE Model, optimal learning, whether in the classroom, laboratory, or clinical setting, is designed to be:

Contextual – situated in real nursing practice.

Conceptual – focused on knowledge, know-how, and ethical comportment.

OCNE's curriculum, launched in 2006, was a result of two years of collaborative work by representatives from all OCNE partners statewide. The curriculum is continually updated and reviewed by the OCNE Curriculum Committee and other workgroups, whose members are faculty from all partner schools.

Compentency-Based Curriculum

What Does "Competency-based Curriculum" Mean?

OCNE's core competencies are derived from analysis of what a nurse needs to know and be able to do. There are two categories of competencies: professional competencies and nursing care competencies.

Professional competencies define the values, attitudes and practices that competent nurses embody and may share with members of other professions.

Nursing care competencies define relationship capabilities that nurses need to work with clients and colleagues, the knowledge and skills of practicing the discipline, and competencies that encompass understanding of the broader health care system.

The OCNE competencies are the basis for our design of learning activities, assessment of student learning, and progression across the curriculum.